Various types of balloon inflators have previously been known. Typically, such inflators incorporate a through-flow motor which draws air from the surrounding atmosphere and exhausts it through an air duct adapted to receive the neck of a balloon. Accordingly, the air used for inflating the balloon is the same air that was drawn through the motor to cool it. As the motor works, its temperature rises. This is aggravated by the use of narrow nozzles at the outlet of the inflator to receive the balloon neck. The narrow nozzle restricts the air flow, adds to the motor load, and accordingly raises the motor temperature. This is particularly true when a high volume of balloons are being inflated in succession, for each balloon constitutes a motor load which varies as the balloon inflates. As a result, the motors of such inflators are given to quick wear-out.
Aggravating this problem further, as the temperature of the motor rises, the balloons are inflated with increasingly warmer air. After the balloon is inflated and the neck sealed, the balloon appears to deflate as the warm air cools and contracts. In the case of Mylar balloons, the balloons become wrinkled and soft-looking in appearance. Further, with Mylar balloons, when the balloon has hit its maximum expansion, the air flow substantially terminates and the load on the motor quickly rises. When the balloon is removed, the small orifice nozzle used for inflating the balloon does not allow the airflow to increase significantly to lower the temperature, but actually presents a continuing load to the motor.
There is a need in the art for an inflator for passing air through a narrow nozzle to the balloons during the inflating process, and subsequently passing the air through a larger opening or orifice, bypassing the nozzle, to increase throughflow of the motor and lower temperature after the inflating process.